(Ecofin Agency) - • Africa’s military spending grew 3% in 2024 to reach $52.1 billion, driven mainly by North Africa
• Algeria and Morocco alone accounted for 90% of North Africa’s defense budget, amid rising tensions over Western Sahara
• Military-led governments in the Sahel posted double-digit increases as global defense spending reached record highs

African countries spent a combined $52.1 billion on their militaries in 2024, marking a 3% increase from the previous year, according to a new report released on April 28, 2025, by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

North Africa made up the largest share of that total, with defense spending hitting $30.2 billion last year. That marks an 8.8% jump compared to 2023, as regional powers continued to pour money into their armies.

Algeria and Morocco together accounted for 90% of North Africa’s total military spending. The decades-long dispute over Western Sahara remains a major source of tension, fueling an arms race between the two neighbors. Algeria, powered by strong oil and gas revenues, raised its defense budget by 12% in 2024 to $21.8 billion. Morocco, after two straight years of cuts, increased its military spending by 2.6%, reaching $5.5 billion.

In contrast, countries in sub-Saharan Africa spent a total of $21.9 billion last year, down 3.2% from 2023. This decline was mainly due to budget cuts in South Africa, Nigeria, and Ethiopia.

South Africa’s defense budget dropped for the fourth year in a row, falling 6.3% to $2.8 billion. The government has focused instead on boosting economic growth and improving social services.

Meanwhile, military-led governments in the Sahel posted sharp increases in their defense budgets. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—each now ruled by army officers following coups in 2021, 2022, and 2023—spent a combined $2.4 billion on their armed forces last year.

Mali’s military spending rose 38% between 2020 and 2024. Burkina Faso’s budget jumped 108% between 2021 and 2024, while Niger increased its spending by 56% from 2022 to 2024. Chad also raised its military budget by 43% last year, reaching $558 million.

Globally, military spending reached a record $2.718 trillion in 2024. That marks a 9.4% increase in real terms—the fastest annual rise since the end of the Cold War. Spending rose across all regions, with sharp increases in Europe and the Middle East due to ongoing conflicts.

The world’s top five military spenders—the United States, China, Russia, Germany, and India—made up 61% of total global spending, with a combined defense bill of $1.635 trillion.

Military spending as a share of global GDP climbed from 2.3% in 2023 to 2.5% in 2024. In countries facing active conflict—defined by SIPRI as those with over 1,000 conflict-related deaths in a year—defense spending averaged 4.4% of GDP, compared to 1.9% in more peaceful nations.

The countries with the highest military budgets as a share of GDP were Ukraine (34%), Israel (8.8%), and Algeria (8%).

Walid Kéfi